


Finding Out

by ml101



Series: Finding Out [1]
Category: The Thick of It (TV)
Genre: Daddy!Malcolm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-25
Updated: 2015-09-25
Packaged: 2018-04-23 08:09:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4869572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ml101/pseuds/ml101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam was just about ready to leave the office when she hears something unexpected...was her boss crying?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding Out

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of an Alternative Universe where Malcolm is a father. I have different scenarios on how his colleagues find out about Malcolm and his family. First of course is Sam.

Sam was getting ready to leave the office when she heard a commotion insider her boss’ room. Figuring it was the best course of action for a PA, she decided to knock and see if her boss was alright.

“Malcolm?” asked Sam after she knocked on his locked door which was strange because Malcolm never locks that door between their offices. “Malcolm? Are you alright?”

Sam waited a good minute before deciding she was going to enter the office but the door suddenly opened and Jamie slyly slipped out and closed it behind him. “Hey Sam!” greeted Jamie, putting an arm across the door frame giving Sam the plain signal that she wasn’t allowed to see what was behind the door.

“Jamie,” began Sam  as she raised an eyebrow at her colleague. “Are you guys alright? I heard something—”

“Oh you know Malc,” cut off Jamie. “He throws his phone when there’s a fucking cunt on the other line.”

“I don’t think that was what I had heard,” said Sam, trying to learn what was wrong. It wasn’t that she was nosy or anything but during her month’s stay as Malcolm’s PA, she has grown to care for her boss as well as her other Scottish co-worker. “Jamie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” said Jamie, all too quickly for Sam’s liking. “Just a hard day, Sam. Now, why don’t you go home and relax...we’ve had a rough day and all.”

“Jamie, I care about Malcolm just as much as you do,” said Sam, rather harshly. “Now what’s the problem.”

“Just let her in.” Came the voice inside the room and Sam couldn’t believe that the voice came from her boss. Jamie sighed and opened the door to let Sam in. She walked in and was surprised to see the bent over form of Malcolm Tucker sitting behind his desk, hands covering his face. As he heard Sam enter, Malcolm rubbed his eyes but Sam could notice how red they were and how his voice was hoarse when he called a few moments before.

“I’m fine Sam,” said Malcolm, sniffling.

“Oh come off it, Malc.” said Jamie, pacing behind Sam. “You let her in here might as well tell her. Besides, it gives another set of hands to help you get out of that fucking shit hole you’ve dug for yourself.”

“What’s wrong?” asked Sam, looking from Jamie and Malcolm.

Malcolm sighed and Jamie saw this as a go signal to start telling Sam. “There’s going to be two days where Malcolm will have the worst possible day of the year. One of them is when he does not go to work and the other one is today.”

“What’s wrong with today?” whispered Sam, as she didn’t want Malcolm to feel worse than before.

“It’s my wife’s birthday,” replied Malcolm, not looking at the both of them and just staring blankly at his table. “Rather, it was my late wife’s birthday.”

Sam’s eyes widened at the realization. Sure she had noticed the wedding ring on his finger, but she never thought he was a widow.

“How long?” dared to ask Sam.

“About a year already,” replied Jamie, his voicing softening a bit. “There’s one of the days you won’t hear from Malcolm, apart from the birthday of his kids.”

“Two, one boy and one girl.” replied Malcolm to the question that was coming next. “Michelle’s 11 and Jake just turned 1.”

Sam could do the Math and she eyed her boss. “I’m so sorry, Malcolm.”

“It’s alright, Sam.” replied Malcolm, as he smiled a little and shook his head. “Today was just me being a fucking idiot and just realizing it now when you both are supposed to be heading home.”

Sam eyed Jamie and the question was of course evident in her face. “Malc forgot what day it was because of all the stress we’ve been facing. And as I’ve told him it was alright. We’ve had a bad day and of course we’d forget some things.”

“But it’s a fucking important thing,” said Malcolm, his bullocking face as Sam would refer to it, on. “I’m not supposed to even forget about that. I’m not supposed to forget that it’s her birthday just because she’s dead!”

Now there was something rare, Malcolm Tucker giving himself a lecture and a damn harsh one.

Malcolm sighed before rubbing a tired hand over his face. “If she was alive, I wouldn’t have forgotten it.” He whispered and Sam could only look at Jamie, asking what they could do?

Jamie shrugged his shoulders in reply. After a few more seconds of silence, Jamie walked over to and placed his hands on top. “Look, Malc, anybody in your place would have done the same mistake.”

“That’s just it, Jamie,” replied Malcolm. “I’m not supposed to be just like everybody else. Jenna meant the entire world to me and just after a year...I forget something as important as this?”

“You wanted to be swallowed by this job remember?” said Jamie. “That was what you told me. Well shut the fuck up man and accept it. You have been taken over by this job. Now suck it up because there are two kids back at your house who are probably worried why you haven’t called them yet.”

Malcolm sighed in annoyance which only meant that Jamie was right. Sam couldn’t believe how Malcolm instantly changed from the depressed man she saw earlier back to the man who she was used to seeing for the past month.

“Right,” said Malcolm, standing up and getting his things ready. “You two, leave. We have a busy day tomorrow and I need you well rested. Now, off!”

Jamie and Sam didn’t need to be told twice as both left the office. Sam walked with Jamie as the man had to get back to his desk and get his things before heading out. Jamie of course knew that Sam was fishing for more information and Jamie was glad to provide it.

“Swallowed by the job?” asked Sam when she was certain Malcolm won’t hear them.

“You saw how he is,” replied Jamie, getting his bag and coat. “When Jenna died, he knew that he couldn’t face his children like that. So he took this job and vented all his anger and frustration out here. Everybody who knew him said that he was going to be taken over by this job and Malc was betting on that. He needed a release because he fucking won’t let it out in front of his children. As Malc puts it, they’ve suffered enough and they don’t need a depressed father to be added to that shit list.”

“You knew her?” asked Sam as they headed out of the office.

“Nah,” replied Jamie. “Met Malcolm back in Scotland. Old friends, if you will. Jenna was a member of the party and was interviewed by the then journalist Malcolm Tucker. And that’s basically how Malcolm got into politics. His wife believes, worked for and is main supporter of the party and she managed to get Malcolm on board.”

“How did she die?” asked Sam as they walked along Downing Street.

Jamie sighed and Sam noted his hesitation. “Her full name was Jenna Brown.”

“Jenna Brown?” asked Sam, surprised. “Malcom was married to Jenna Brown? Why didn’t that make the papers?”

“Basically those cunts who work for the media never really cared to think if Jenna had a family or not,” replied Jamie. “They just needed the headline the story that the famous family of the Conservatives has a daughter who was allied with the Labour party and the fact that she was shot during a party conference. Back then, Malcolm was just a shadow if you will. Nobody really knew him, except those back in Scotland because he was your average journalist.”

“But everybody knew Jenna Brown.” continued Sam. “I mean she and her brother were officer class. Many people think that if the Conservatives win, Jonathan Brown would be the next Prime Minister.”

“A lot of people think that Jenna could be one as well and that was why she joined the Labour party because the Conservatives wouldn’t back her up,” said Jamie. “But that wasn’t the case as Malc told me. Jenna didn’t really follow the ideals of her family’s party so she found one that coincides with hers.”

“How does Malcolm keep his family such a well kept secret?” asked Sam.

“One, he stays in a flat near Downing Street so if any reporters follow him, it won’t be to his real home,” said Jamie. “He goes home during the weekend. Two, two phones. One private, one work phone. Three, he basically has a get together with his quote unquote journalist friends and they understand his predicament. They agree to keep his family off limits in exchange for a scoop. You know how scumbags and cunts can be, Sam.”

“Malcolm will surely tell you about this tomorrow,” said Jamie. “When he hired you, he was going to tell you that some calls are far more important than others and that would be calls from Michelle, his daughter.”

“He mentioned that to me before,” said Sam. “Calls from a particular number would be taken no matter what, whether he was in a very important meeting or bullocking someone.”

* * *

“Sam?” came the voice of her boss just as Sam was about to leave for the week.

“Yes, Malcolm?” replied Sam as she rushed into the man’s office.

“I just wanted to ask if you were free tomorrow for lunch?” asked Malcolm, a smile on his face at how Sam had rushed in as though it was something important. “It wasn’t rush or anything.”

Sam sighed but raised an eyebrow at her boss’ question. “Sure, I’m free. What’s the occasion?”

“Let’s just say, I need you to meet two people,” replied Malcolm. “Of course Jamie is coming along, as well as Tom Davies.” He handed her a note. “That’s the address. You could hitch a ride with Jamie though. I guess he still hasn’t bought a gift for his godson.”

“Self-proclaimed godfathers shouldn’t be obliged to give gifts,” said the man in question.

“There shouldn’t even be any self-proclaimed godfathers in the first place,” replied Malcolm.

“Technically, if he has proclaimed himself a godfather then all duties and responsibilities of one is given to him,” said Sam. “Including gift giving.”

“Now that’s the reason why I hired Sam,” said Malcolm, flashing Jamie a sly grin.

“She’s supposed to take your side,” replied Jamie. “I think that’s part of her job description.”

“No,” replied Sam as she exited the office. “Annoying you, now that is part of my job description.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is always appreciated!


End file.
